Folding furniture



Jan. 27, 1959 ZABIELSK] 2,870,459

FOLDING FURNITURE Filed 001;. 29, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. RAYMOND E ZAB/E'L SK/ BY 7 C a ATTORNEY Jan. 27, 1959 Filed Oct. 29, 1956 R. F. ZABlELSKl 2,870,459

FOLDING FURNITURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RAYMOND F ZAB/EL SK/ ATTORNEY 27, 1959 F. ZABlELSKl I ,8

FOLDING FURNITURE Filed Oct. 29. 1956 f 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I A A R. 8 I 8 8 a4 3 Q I I Q) s 2 'H I HI u E IN VEN TOR. RA VMOND ZAB/EL 5/0 BY 4 m A T TORN V United States Patent FOLDING FURNITURE Raymond F. Zabielski, San Francisco, Calif.

Application October 29, 1956, Serial No. 619,066

1 Claim. (Cl. 2)

This invention relates to furniture generally. More particularly this invention relates to collapsible. beds which may be housed in folding cabinets.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved article of furniture which may be folded into a cabinet structure when not in actual use.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for beds in which a plurality of bunktype beds may be supported between braced cabinet structure when in use and which may be stored in the folded cabinet structure when not in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved folding bed structure in which a plurality of bunktype. beds are swingably supported in the back portion of a cabinet which has a divided front portion that is adapted to swing outward to support the fronts of the bunk-type beds when they are arranged for use.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to thosev skilled in the ante which it relates from the following specification, claims and drawings.

In accordance with this invention there is provided an improved article of furniture of the foldable type. This invention is provided with cabinet structure having a back portion in which there are provided several swingably supported bunk-type beds that are adapted to be supported in this back portion of the cabinets when they are not in use.

When it is desired to place the beds into use, the front of the cabinet structure is opened up. For this purpose the front of the cabinet is divided into two sections, each of which is pivotally attached to the. respective sides of the back portion of the cabinet so that these divided front sections are adapted to be opened up and swung outward to the front of these respective sides. Suitable fixtures are attached to the back walls of the. front sections for receiving the frame members of the bunk beds and supporting the front parts of these frame members when they are swung into horizontal position. In this way the divided front sections of the cabinet function as side members for supporting the beds. 1

Suitable shelves are provided inthese divided front sections so that various articles, such as bedding, may be stored therein. In addition, these shelves function as bracing members and thereby lend rigidity and strength to these front sections which is necessary when the bunk beds are in use.

Further details of this invention, will be set forth in the following specification, claim and drawing in which briefly:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of this improved :cabinet structure showing it opened up and one of the bunk beds in horizontal position ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a side view of this invention showing it in its closed position;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the closed cabinet structure;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view showing the cabinet open so that the bunk beds may be folded out and alsoillustrating one of said beds extended outward to its horizontal position;

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of one of the fixtures for engaging a bed frame member and supporting said member in horizontal position; and

Fig. 7 shows the fixture shown in Fig. 6 with the bed frame member attached thereto.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown in Fig. 1 an embodiment of this invention in which the device is illustrated in its opened up position with the divided front sections 10 and 11 swung outward from the back section 12 so that the bunk-type beds 13, 14 and 15 whichv are pivotally attached to the inside of the back section, may be swung outward into their horizontal position. The bed 15 is illustrated in this horizontal position in Figs. 1 and 5.

The cabinet structure of this invention is provided with a back section 12 which is made up of a back wall 12a, a top wall 121], and a bottom wall 120, as shown in Fig. 4, and two vertical side walls 12d and Me as shownv in Fig. 5. A bracing member 12 that extends between the, side walls 12d and 12c and is also attached to the back wall 12a is provided across the central inner portion of the back cabinet structure.

The divided front sections it) and 11 are attached by means of hinges 16 and 17 to the side walls 12d and 122 respectively as shown in Fig. 5 and these hinges permit the front sections it and 11 to be swung outwardly so that they extend to the front of the side walls 12d and 12erespectively. Casters such as the caster 23 shown. in Figs. 1 and 4 are provided to the rear walls 10a and 11a of the front sections 10 and 11 whereby these sections may be readily swung outward on their hinges 16 and 17, respectively, since the weights of the free ends of these front sections are supported by these casters.

Each of the beds comprises a substantially rectangular frame made up of a rear frame member 150., a forward frame member 151) and two similar side frame members 15s, as illustrated in broken outline in Fig. 5, in the case of the bed 15. All of these beds 13, 14 and 15 are the same and the rear of frame members thereof each extend between a pair of flange members such as the flange members 13d, 14d and 15d respectively, as is also illustrated in Fig. 5. A pair of such flange members is employed for swingably supporting each of the beds 13, 14 and 15 by the rear frame member thereof and for this purpose these flange members are attached to the insides of the side walls He and 12d of the back section of the cabinet. While only one set of these flange members 13d, 14d and 15a! is shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a similar set is attached to the inside surface of both of the side walls, as shown in Fig. 5 in connection with the bed 15.

Suitable fixtures 132, Me and 15s are attached to the back wall 11a of the front cabinet section 11 as shown in Fig. 1 and a similar set of fixtures (not shown) are attached to the back surface of the back wall 16a of the cabinet section 10. These fixtures 13s, 14s and 15e are adapted to engage one of the ends of the front frame members 13b, 14b and 1512 respectively of the beds 13, 14 and 15 when said beds are swung into their horizontal positions as illustrated in the case of bed 15 which is shown in its horizontal position in Figs. 1 and 5 and the ends of its front member 15b is illustrated lodged in the fixtures 15c (Fig. 5).

Detail views Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the construction of these fixtures. Each fixture is provided with a U- shaped member 18, the back portion of which is attached to the wall 11a by means of suitable screws 19. The side walls of the U-shaped member are provided with supporting members 20 which are adapted to support the free end of the pivoted plate 21. This plate is pivaaroase 3 otally attached to these side walls by means of the pivot 22 and the supporting members 20 cooperate with said pivot to hold the plate in horizontal position as shown in solid outline in Fig. 6. The plate 21 is adapted to swing upward from its vertical position as shown in broken outline in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 7 there is illustrated the one end portion of the bed frame member, for example, the front frame member 1512 of the bed 15, in position in the support ing fixture, and it will be noted that the end of this frame member is provided with a cap-shaped member 15d that may be fastened thereto in any convenient manner such as brazing, riveting and the like. This cap member is provided with a pin 15 that is adapted to be lodged in the hole 21a of the plate 21 to retain the bed frame member firmly in the fixture.

In the case of the lower bed 15, it will be noted that this bed is swung downward from the inside of the back cabinet structure and the ends of the front frame member are positioned in the fixtures on the backs 10a and 11a of the front sections. Before this bed is swung downward into its horizontal position it is released from its vertical position inside of the back cabinet structure by tilting pivoted latch members such as the member g, from its horizontal latching position shown in Fig. 4 to its vertical position shown in Fig. l. Thus the bed 15 is released and permitted to be swung outward. No latching is required for the beds i3 and 14 since these are pivoted from the back frame members 131: and 14a as shown in Fig. 4. However, in the cases of these beds they must be swung outward and upward to place them in their horizontal position and latch them in the fixtures 13c and 141:, respectively. in order that this may be accomplished the plate members 21 of these fixtures are adapted to be swung upwardly as shown in Fig. 6 so that the front members 1312 and 14b of these beds may be swung upwardly past their horizontal position through these fixtures and then brought back upon the plates 21 when the latter are swung to their horizontal positions. In other words, the ends of the front frame members 131) and 14b of these beds must first pass through the fixtures 13c and i l-e respectively and then be brought back down upon the latching plates 21 of these fixtures to be held in horizontal position by said fixtures.

Each of the front sections 10 and 11 may be provided with a plurality of shelves such as the shelves 24, 25 and 26 Shown in the front section 10 in Fig. 1. These shelves extend between the side members 27 and 23 of this section and are also attached to the back Wall 10a thereof. In this way these shelves may be used not only for storing various articles, such as, bedding and clothing, but they also function as braces for the purpose of lending rigidity and strength to the front sections. By

employing shelves such as described above in both sections 10 and 11, the backs 10a and 11a of these sections may be made of relatively light material without sacrificing the necessary strength. The front of the section 10 is also provided with suitable doors 29, and 31 and similar doors 2%, 30a and 310 are provided to section 11 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The door 29 is hinged to the front of the shelf 25 and opens by being swung into its horizontal position thereby providing access to the shelves 124 and 25 and when it is in its horizontal position it is adapted to be supported by the doors 30 and 31 when they are in their open position as shown in Fig. 1. These doors 30 and 31 are hinged to the sides i Vi.

27 and 28 respectively and they are provided for the purpose of closing the lower part of the front section 10. The door 29a of the front section 11 is also hinged to a corresponding shelf thereof and the doors 3% and 31:: are also adapted to support the door 29:: in like manner.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention it will be understood that the invention is capable of variation and modification from the form shown so that its scope should be limited only by the scope of the claim appended hereto.

I claim:

An article of furniture that is portable and may be moved about in a room, comprising a cabinet having a back wall, side walls and front structure coextensive with said back wall, said front structure being divided substantially in the center thereof to form two sections, said front structure also having means for pivotally attaching the rear side edges thereof to the front edges of adjacent ones of said side walls so that the divided sections of said front structure may be swung outward to extend to the front of the respective side walls to which said divided sections are pivotally attached thereby to provide access to the inside of the cabinet, each of said divided sections comprising vertical side members and a plurality of horizontal members positioned between said vertical side members and fixedly attached thereto and to the respective back walls of said divided sections to provide bracing to said divided sections, a plurality of bunk bed frames adapted to be positioned in said cabinet, each of said frames comprising a front member and a parallel rear member, said mambers extending inside of said cabinet substantailly between said side walls, bearing members for receiving the ends of said rear frame members attached to the inside of said walls for rotatably supporting said rear frame members one above the other in said cabinet, side frame members attached to said front and rear frame members near the ends thereof and supporting means for supporting said front frame members, means in said supporting means for retaining the ends of said front frame members therein when said bed frames are in their horizontal positions, said supporting means being attached to the rear wall of said front structure near the line of division thereof so that said supporting means are in position to receive the ends of said front frame members when the two sections of said front structure are swung out to the front of said side walls, said front frame members extending between the rear walls of said swung-out front structure when said bed frames are fixed in their horizontal positions providing a multiple tier bed in which the tiers of said bed frames form braces between the swung-out sections of said front structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 716,026 Geisel Dec. 16, 1902 730,390 Owen June 9, 1903 1,087,285 Farlow Feb. 17, 1914 1,253,549 Weaver Jan. 15, 1918 1,510,596 Kennedy Oct. 7, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,670 Great Britain Nov. 13, 1891 84,028 Norway Aug. 2, 1954 480,983 Germany 0 Aug. 12, 1929 1,031,659 France June 25, 1953 

